Are The Beds Really That Bad?

[Woobstr112G]

I keep hearing about the Princess beds being so uncomfortable that if you don't have a mattress topper, you'll be sorry.

 

Can you order the mattress topper ahead of time (I just checked the website and didn't see it anywhere) or do you have to wait until you board and hope your cabin steward will provide one for you upon request?

 

Thanks for your help - my first time cruising Princess (Emerald) and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

You'll have many people tell you Princess beds are terrible. I however don't mind the firm beds.....

 

Bob

[Cruise Junky]

You'll have many people tell you Princess beds are terrible. I however don't mind the firm beds.....

 

Bob

 

I realize this is a personal question ;) do you sleep on your back or your side?

 

I was in the purser's line last week and a few people where talking behind me saying Princess gets the most complaints about beds from people that sleep on their sides.

[furb]

I sleep on my back and side, and I have no problem with Princess beds at all.

[RickEk]

Interestingly, the last two cruises that I've been on, we've had 4 persons in the cabin. Both times, I took an upper bunk and it was most comfortable... :p We'll be four in the cabin on my upcoming cruise and I've got dibs on an upper!

[Times Prince]

I also have had issue on the Ruby as well as the Caribbean. I love a really soft bed and my bed at home has a huge pillowtop so I'm a bit spoiled. I would wake up several times a night when sailing with my shoulder killing me! (I'm in my 30s so no age issue). I'd continuously have to roll over, roll over... We did request a topper once but it didn't help much. Oh well...I love to cruise so much I suck it up!

We have a pillowtop mattress at home and find the beds on Princess ships just fine. They are firm but comfortable. What I do have a problem with is the duvets they now use - either too hot with them or too cold without.

 

If you are used to a really soft mattress then order some extra pillows to use as body pillows. Worked fine on the one mattress I had an issue with over 10 years ago.

[Pam in CA]

I've never had a problem sleeping on a Princess bed but then I prefer a hard mattress. On the other hand, people rave about the HAL beds and even order them for home (seriously???) but I find them way too soft and wind up getting a sciatica flare up and am in agony after a few days.

 

When you go to a mattress store, they have many choices, from soft to hard, depending on one's preference because we're all different. There's no way for any cruiseline be able to please everyone.

[deminggraham]

I was on the Emerald in April in a balcony cabin and found the mattresses way too firm. They were still a little firm with the egg crate but I slept well with it. No problem getting one from the steward. I have a memory foam mattress at home.

[Woobstr112G]

I realize this is a personal question ;) do you sleep on your back or your side?

 

I was in the purser's line last week and a few people where talking behind me saying Princess gets the most complaints about beds from people that sleep on their sides.

 

On my side. If I sleep on my back, I snore which keeps DW up all night.

 

Bob

[Quilter n Cruiser]

Thank you so much for your replies. I am used to softer beds (but not too soft) so I'll ask the room steward for a topper first thing.

 

Happy cruising!

 

We always request a topper and our TA puts in the request and it shows on our personalizer. So far it has always been on our bed on arrival for the cruise. We have a sleep# bed DH uses the softer setting and I go for the firm. We both sleep well on the Princess ships. I think it must be the rocking motion. Hope this helps.

[Sandy Sails]

My TA just reserved an eggcrate topper for us. If it's not there when we arrive, I'll just "remind" the cabin steward, as I know turnaround day can be pretty hectic, so no big deal. Thanks everybody!

[Griller]

We both sleep well on the Princess ships. I think it must be the rocking motion. Hope this helps.

 

Do you think Princess ships have less stabilization so have rocking motion , and other ships don't?

[NYLady]

When I first saw an itinerary with Princess that I really wanted to do, I was so concerned about the "hard beds" that I booked a trip out of NY just to try them out. They were wonderful. Since then we have taken several more Princess cruises (see below) and have always found the beds to be not only good but very comfortable. I still wonder when I hear these comments.

By the way, a note for anyone not familiar with egg crates, they are considered comfortable by everyone.

 

I need to correct myself but did not see an "edit" choice...

I meant to say:

...they are NOT considered comfortable by everyone...

[5:00_Somewhere]

Do you think Princess ships have less stabilization so have rocking motion , and other ships don't?

 

Absolutely not. Stabilizers are stabilizers. Some of us just enjoy the gentle motion of the ship on the sea.

[PrincessNancy]

Hi there,

 

We were on the Emerald last month & were pleasantly surprised that the mattresses were fine. I was stressing about it pre-cruise, because of all the comments on this board. I even considered bringing my own foam mattress topper, but decided to take my chances. I'd requested a foam mattress pad ahead of time, and it helped. The mattress was fine for our 10-day cruise. I'd had issues on a prior cruise -- the Diamond in 2009. Those mattresses (and pillows!) were awful. But the Emerald was fine.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

The pillows are another important aspect to getting a comfortable nights sleep. Hubby is most comfortable with a foam pillow; and I sleep best with a feather pillow (down is great, too!). I seem to toss and turn a little more when I'm forced to sleep with a flat, foam pillow.

[Coral]

When you go to a mattress store, they have many choices, from soft to hard, depending on one's preference because we're all different. There's no way for any cruiseline be able to please everyone.

 

I don't remember which hotel chain went with Select Comfort beds (air beds that can be adjusted) - I wonder how their experiment went. I think it was Radisson but I could be wrong. Possible solution??

[OCruisers]

We actually like firm so no problem for us but many do.

 

:D The ongoing joke: Never worry about bedbugs on Princess ships! The beds are so uncomfortable ... ever bedbugs don't wish to be in them.

[UpcountryTravelers]

I find the beds quite comfortable. But then, I have an old back injury and a soft, mushy bed will leave me in severe pain after a couple of nights. (They're just not good for ya.) That's why I prefer the upscale hotels, and find Princess to be similar.

 

Doing a Carnival at Christmas and hope those beds are firm enough.......

[Layla]

I believe your TA can make a request for an egg crate mattress for you or you can ask your room steward when you board.

 

You can request an egg crate topper in advance by faxing your request to 661-284-4745. Even if you booked through a TA, you can do this yourself and it will appear in your Cruise Personalizer under Special Services.

[marvin]

My worst bed experience. London, England hotel. Base of bed narrower than the mattress. I weigh 240 lb. All night whenever I rolled to edge of bed I hit the floor. That was over 10 years ago miserable night but good story to tell since, over drinks of course. Marvin

[KruzPrincess]

I think Princess beds are HARD, not firm. For me, these are the worst beds on any cruise line I've sailed on. I fax in a request pre-cruise to ask for foam toppers, but sometimes that's not enough. I just find the beds very uncomfortable. I love Princess and if it weren't for the beds I'd have nothing to complain about, so I keep sailing with them. I've also heard that this is by far the biggest complaint that Princess gets, but I don't know it for fact. I wish they'd invest in a better quality mattress. Other Carnival Corp ships have better mattresses.

[Steveo978]

My bed felt fine initally. On the morning of St. Thomas got up after a good night's sleep and couldn't put weight on my right hip (I'm a side sleeper). It was so painful to hobble to the the bathroom all the plans for the day went out the (unobstructed ocean view) window. Mind blowing mostly because I've never had hip pain in my life. I do rember missing everything in St. Thomas except the drug store for a folding cain. Sat by the pool onboard the rest of the day. The self prescribed muscle relaxer's from the bar were called "Captain's Bounty". Expensive with 4 kinds of rum - but strictly for medicinal....

The cruise? AWESOME! The bed - stunk.

 

FYI: Didn't have a problem on the Caribbian Princess in 2010.